The present invention relates to a method for synchronizing the speed of a hydraulic crane drive comprising at least one hydraulic consumer, for example a hydraulic motor, that is fed by means of at least one hydraulic variable displacement pump, and in which the at least one variable displacement pump is driven by means of the drive unit of the crane.
A crane, and in particular a mobile crane, has a hydraulic power system for driving the various crane functions. This hydraulic power system is supplied by one or more hydraulic pumps, which are supplied at least in part by means of a central drive unit of the crane, such as an internal combustion engine. The delivery volume of the individual hydraulic pumps depends on the drive speed of the motor output. The greater the delivered pump volume is, the faster is the motion speed of the individual hydraulic consumers, which are fed by means of the pump, in order to carry out the various functions of the crane.
Typically the operator of the crane does not know the requisite motor speed that is necessary to correctly operate the hydraulic power system of the crane at the desired motion speed.
Owing to this lack of information, the operator allows the drive unit to run at high speed in order to guarantee sufficient reserves to set any motion speed. However, in many cases a significantly lower speed is also adequate. This situation leads not only to an excessive fuel consumption and high noise emission, but also to an unnecessarily high accelerated wear of the drive unit.